Radiator core



Dec. 8, 1936. 1.. P.'SAUNDERS 2,063,757

RADIATOR CORE Filed D80. 29, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L. P. SAUNDERS RADIATOR CORE -Dec. 8, 1936.

Filed Dec. 29, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Dec. 8, i936 UNITED STATES PATE T OFFICE nama'ronconn nmtz smam, 'N.r.,* aalignor to General Motors Corp ration, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Application December 29, 1934, Serial No. 759,859 4 Claims. (Cl. 257-130) of heat exchanging medium in thin streams and on straight lines. The thin stream flow insures the quick transfer of heat and the straight line course reduces resistance to free passage and clogging of the tube by the entrapment of foreign material therein.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simplified tube plate design free of complicated formations and which can be made at low.

cost and when assembled with a number of similar tube plates joins with the next succeeding plate on-one side to form a closed water tube and with the'hext succeeding plate to the other side tofform an air space. To this end the tube-plates, made to be interchangeable, are preformed each with portions along both edges offset inwardly with respect to the resulting tube for spacing the plate proper from the mating plate, one of the offset edge portions being somewhat wider than the other so that it can be reversely bent over the narrow offset edge of the m'ating'pla'te to seal-and join the edges. In addition, the end portions of eachplate are devoid of deformations and are bent outwardly each on a straight line across the fiat endportion for overlapping" attachment withua corresponding portion of the adjacent plate of thenext succeeding tube.- In this way the several plates are joined together an single unit.

. succeeding tubes.

Another object isto provide an improved arrangement of cooperating fin. strips associated with the tubes and located in the spaces between The fin strip' consists of a series of angularly relatedsections which alternately bear in fiat contact with opposite tube walls for attachment thereto, and'extend across the space to constitute heat radiating fins, and

the fin strip not only increases heat radiating surface but also strengthens the tube walls and holds them apart a definite distance. Additional inward .oifsets extending longitudinally of the tube walls serve to space the intermediate portion of the tube against inward collapse and at the same time provide recesses to seat locating projections on the wall engaging sections of the fin strip, whereby the parts are secured against accidental displacement.

section through one edge of a tube.

Additional objects and advantages of the construction involved will become apparent during the course of the following detail description having reference to the accompanying drawings .in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sloping radiator embodying the invention; Figures 2 and 3 are, respectively, a vertical longitudinai section and a transverse horizontal section of fragments of the core structure; Figure 4 I is a perspective view of one of the sloping water tubes and its associated fins; Figurev 5 is a perspective view similar to Figure 4,,but showing the invention incorporated in a vertically disposed water tube; Figure-'6 is an enlarged sectional view on a transverse vertical line atone end of the assembly; and Figure '7 is an e' ged The invention is particularly adaptable for use with a sloping radiator, as shown in Fl!- ure 1, where the numeral l indicates the core assembly connecting the top and bottom tanks 2 and 3 which are longitudinally offset with 'relation to each other. In addition to the rearward inclination, the core is of ,V-shape or in other words its front and rear faces diverge rearwardly from the vertical center line of the assembly. Consequently the water tubes are downwardly inclined between the top and bottom tanks while the heat radiating fins extend along lines substantially horizontal or in the direction of the incoming air stream, as is shown particularly in Figure 2.

Each water tube 4 comprises a pair of substantially fiat. plates extending on a straight line from the top to the bottom of the core.

Following lines extending longitudinally of each plate and spaced transversely from the front and rear edges are one or more inwardly pressed ridges or oflsets 5 and the offsets of one plate.

cooperate with corresponding offsets of the other 7, and the additional material in the wider edge is reversely bent over the abutting edge to provide a lock seam. The wall strips joined together at their edges thus provide a closed tube having straight sides and an interior hollow space that defines a straight line course from one end to the other, and which is divided into sections by the spacer ribs 5.

The spacer ribs 5 extend throughout the length of the tube but terminate short of the ends of the wall plate as do also the offset edge portions 6 and 1. The resulting fiat end portions are turned outwardly as at 8, the line of bending 8' being across but within the flattened portion so as to a-fiord a smooth bend and one which is easy to make. As shown in Figure 6 the end portion 8 of one tube overlaps the corresponding end portion of the adjacent wall of the next succeeding tube and may be secured thereto by a soldering operation to unite the several tubes.

The fin strip involves a succession of angularly bent portions of which those indicated by the numeral 9 afford heat radiating fins that extend across the space between the tubes, and the portions l connecting the fins provide fiat wall engaging surfaces for the ready transfer of heat from the wall into the fins. The fiat wall engaging sections ID are preferably provided with bulges or projections ll alined with and projecting into the inwardly extending ribs of the wall strips whereby to interlock the parts against fore and aft separation. As shown in the drawings the fins 9 may be provided with louvered openings l2 for'dividing and deflecting air particles from one cell to the next to insure wiping contact with the metal surfaces of a maximum number of air particles.

When applied to a sloping radiator core construction the successive fins will be arranged successively in longitudinally offset relation in conformity to the inclination of the tubes, as

-' direction of the incoming air stream. When the parts are embodied in a V-type radiator the succeeding water tubes and fin strips are merely arranged successively in transversely oil?- set relation as illustrated in Figure 3. The arrangement of the parts in a fiat face vertical core is seen in Figure 5.

For joining the fins to the flat water tube surfaces the exterior of the water tubes may be pretinned and the assembly placed in an oven to insure a good surface bond. Altemately a thin strip of solder foilmay be interposed between the surfaces to be joined, which upon the application of heat will melt and run between the abutting surfaces.

I claim:

1. In a heat exchanger, a plurality of spaced tubes, each comprising a pair of mating strips having fiat end portions bent outwardly each on a line within the flat portion, for overlapped attached relation with a corresponding portion of the next adjacent tube, each strip between said end portions and throughout its length providing a straight side wall of the tube and having therein at transversely spaced intervals a series of spacer ribs pressed inwardly along longitudinally straight lines for seating engagement with corresponding spacer ribs of the mating wall strip, and having its margins along opposite edges offset inwardly with one thereof wider than the other and reversely bent over the narrower offset margin of the mating strip, and a spacer strip between each pair of succeeding tubes comprising a succession of angularly bent portions, every other one of which constitutes a fin extending across the space between the tubes, with those portions between the fins in fiat seating engagement in alternate relation with adjacent walls of the spaced tubes, and provided with outward bulges alined and interlocked with the inwardly pressed ribs of abutting wall strips.

2. In a heat exchanger, a series of spaced tubes straight sided from end to end, each comprising a pair of mating wall strips having fiat end portions, each bent outwardly on a line within the fiat end portion, for attachment with a. corresponding fiat end portion of an adjacent tube strip, inwardly pressed longitudinal spacer ribs extending on a straight line between said end portions to hold the strips apart, and inwardly ofiset margins along each edge, one of which is reversely bent over the other, and heat radiating fins having fiat surface engagement with both of succeeding pairs of tubes.

3. An automobile radiator assembly including a pair of spaced tanks oflset longitudinally from one another, a series of spaced tubes extending at an incline between the offset tanks for the flow of cooling medium in thin streams, each tube comprising a pair of juxtaposed plates having fiat wall portions extending each in a single plane on a straight line between the tanks and having inwardly offset and longitudinally extending beads for spacing the wall portions apart, and a fin strip between succeeding pairs of tubes, comprising a series of angularly bent sections with alternate sections extending across the space between the tubes to constitute fins and succeeding fins being longitudinally offset from one another in conformity with the inclination of the tubes, but extending along lines substantially conforming with the direction of the incoming air stream, and the connecting portions between the fins in fiat surface contact with adjacent plates and provided with alining projections fitting into said inwardly offset heads.

4. An automobile radiator assembly, including a pair of headers spaced vertically and longitudinally of each other, a series of transversely spaced straight sided tubes extending in inclined relation between the tanks and being successively offset from one another rearwardly from the longitudinal center line of the assembly. and a succession of vertically spaced fins in the spaces between the tubes, each fin being offset vertically from the nextadjacent fin to conform with tube inclination and extending longitudinally of the assembly and diagonally in relation to the inclination of said tubes for cooperation with adjacent fins to provide substantially horizontal air cells.

LAURENCE P. SAUNDERS. 

